HOTSPOT | HET KAUFHAUS

29.4.14

Interview with Kim Evers, initiator Het Kaufhaus

Sometimes,
you meet a person and it seems like you have met before. While you are sure you
did not, the first conversation just feels so natural and nice. When I
interviewed Kim Evers, initiator of second hand store Het Kaufhaus, there was
such a nice vibe. We spoke at the big table in the middle of the store at the Eerste Sweelinckstraat 21 (Amsterdamse Pijp) about business,
shopping and life in general. This interview is the first in a series of
interviews that I have planned with a bunch of inspiring women. Women who
follow their dreams and make them happen. Let me take you with me through our
conversation. Imagine lots of tea in a beautifully decorated store. Enjoy!

Your first location was at the Westerstraat. Why did you move to this new
location?

Our
first store was a pop-up store in the Westerstraat. Our contract was just for
three months. In our new place we have planned to stay at least for three
months as well, but we might extend our contract to six months.

But you originally come from Elst, a little Dutch town. Why did you decide to
open up shop here?

I
have been living in Amsterdam for 2,5 years already. To me, that is long enough
to know that this is the place I want to live my life and set up this brand. We
might extend to other Dutch cities too though..

Allright, we will talk about that later. But let’s get back to the basics
first. I heard that you are actually still in school studying art management.
Is that a rumour or a fact?

Okay, you might not want to write that down but you are right. Officially I am
still a student. But about a year back, someone I knew asked me to work for her
at a bunch of festivals. Something that came in handy, as I decided that I
wanted a break from school to think about what I would like to do in the
future. I planned to go away for a few months afterwards, but after a while I
ended up with no work and therefore no money to pay for my trip!

And so you decided to open up a second hand store. That is just crazy! Normal
people would go look for a job in a store or at a restaurant or something. Not
many of them decide to open a shop.

I
know. And it was crazy actually. But we succeeded. Within a timeframe of just 6
weeks we worked hard to realize the concept. We now work with a team of five
people to make Het Kaufhaus happen. Our team has the right mix of qualities:
three people work at the back office, finance and new locations, etc. And two
people work on the creative aspect of the store, for example on promotion and
styling. Everybody did their part in opening up this store and make our dreams
happen.

How did you come up with the idea to open a second hand shop?

It
was in my second year of college that I executed a project for Humana and I
just could not let it go. I loved their concept but also recognized a
possibility to work with them in setting up a clean and modern looking second
hand shop. What we really love about this concept is that 50% of all profits go
to charity.

Do
you handpick all the clothes yourself?

Yes,
me and my colleague Morena have the opportunity to select pieces that fit our concept
once a week at Humana’s main hall in Assen. So yes, we think it is really
important to select all pieces and check their quality ourselves.

Who is your ideal customer?

People that live their life to the fullest. Everyone should be able to find a
piece of their liking in our store, but there is a certain crowd that is able
to shop their whole outfit here.

What I think is really cool is that the store looks so cool and all the pieces
are so easy to combine.

I
have to say that Morena is responsible for the styling, so all props to her.
But our goal is to present a low key second hand store, where you can find
timeless basic pieces. No weird and costume like bombastic clothes.

Exactly. That is precisely what is so refreshing about the Kaufhaus concept.
And I think I am not alone as the big media were quite quick to pick it up!

It
has gone amazingly fast. Funny thing is that we did not even think about PR
when opening the first shop at the Westerstraat. But somehow, three photographers
and two camera crews attended the opening. We still do not know how they picked
it up though haha!

People can also find some interior design pieces at the store, like Persian
rugs and big glass vases. Do you also think about expanding your sales to art?

Actually, we are! We are looking for people who would like to exhibit their
work in our store. So please tell your readers that if they would like to
exhibit here, to tell so in the comments!

Do
you have any tips for those who have never tried second hand shopping?

My
first tip is: just do it! We have all got a washing machine, so there is
nothing dirty or weird about second hand shopping. And I think that our store
might be a great start, as we do not sell those bombastic clothes. Just
timeless and basic pieces.

Exactly. And also, you are not that pricy. For 10-12 euro’s, you find lots of
cool pieces here.

Yeah, and I can assure you that we will never charge more than we do now in the
future. You know, where I am from we are used to fill up our bags at a second
hand market and go home with loads of new clothes while we only have spend 20
euro’s. Amsterdam is so expensive when it comes to second hand shopping. You
guys have accepted that second hand shopping is almost as expensive as shopping
in ‘regular’ shops. But it really does not have to be that way.

Do
you have a dream for Het Kaufhaus’ future?

Of
course we do. We would really like to see the concept grow up and expand to
other cities in Holland. Actually, we are opening up shop in Utrecht tomorrow!
You are all invited to the opening of course, so check out our Facebook page for the details. We would also really like to start a webshop. But nothing too
fancy, Het Kaufhaus should stay small and cosy.

And last but not least. Is there a difference between second hand shopping and
vintage shopping?

It
is funny that you ask me that question. I think those words are almost
interchangeable. It is just that I think of vintage, when I picture a more
expensive and old piece from the 20’s or something. But really, most of the
fuss is about commercialization. Vintage or no vintage, they are all second
hand clothes. I do not really care what label people give our store. I am happy
with both.

I really
hope that you enjoyed the kick off of this new series of interviews. If you
would like to know more about Kim and Het Kaufhaus, check out their Facebookpage. And really, go have a look because I know you are going to be amazed by
the vibe of the store and the collection.